SYNOPSIS (TAKEN FROM GOODREADS)

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

PROS & CONS

Cover Review: Though I was accused by a girl on my tennis team of reading “some sort of creepy romance novel” I still really like these covers and think they fit the story well.

Finally I finished this book! I have no idea why it took me so long to get through (probably due to the sudden presence of multiple tennis practices a day), but now we’re done.
Though I struggled getting through this book I definitely enjoyed it more than the first one. Now all of the world building had already mostly been done, it was easy to get super wrapped up in the plot and the story. I think that this book had a stronger central plot line that made it very clear what the issue and the goal was. I also loved that this book didn’t mainly stick to a third person perspective following just Tessa, but instead branched off to show what was happening with other characters.
The ending devastated me, not necessarily because I was unhappy about who was with who and what was going on, but because it was such a heartbreaking situation in the way that no one really won.
I don’t hate Will as much anymore. All of those comments on my first review that told me to “just wait” and my feelings would change, props to you. He’s still an incredibly flawed character, but he’s a lovable flawed character.
As for the cons, I still had a couple. There were times for me when it just wasn’t clear what was going on or if anything was going on at all. There were also some parts where the plot really dragged and it seems like there would be entire chapters of brainstorming and ideas shot down, as if Cassandra Clare had to make it as clear as possible that all hope is lost, but then – surprise, surprise – it isn’t.
I also felt that there was a lack of foreshadowing. I mean, for the larger events in the story when everything is revealed you would think back and realize that there were clues, and you’ll reprimand yourself for not seeing it coming. However, my issue was with the fact that whenever the Shadowhunters needed to execute a plan, they would suddenly introduce this new rule or law that they neglected to mention before which made their plan possible. If these rules had been mentioned once or twice in the story beforehand, they would’ve been a lot more believable.
The death at the end (I won’t say who, for sake of spoilers) seemed ridiculously dramatic in the moment. I know it seems weird to say that someone literally dying could be dramatic in any way, shape, or form, but it just was. The entire conversation that passed between the two characters seemed like something straight out of a Hollywood movie… or rather, multiple Hollywood movies because it’s been done so many times. Afterwards, it was hardly mentioned or thought about again. It just seemed very odd.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I liked it a lot more than the first one, so if you’ve only read the first one and you’re hesitant about continuing on, I definitely would give this one a shot. It’s an entertaining read, and while it has a few flaws it’s very enjoyable.
4/5 stars

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9 thoughts on “Review #15: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare”

I’ve never read a Cassandra Clare book, but I know she’s widely loved, especially with this series. I think maybe I should try something like this before delving into her longer series! Is this your first series by her?

Yup! I haven’t been ready to make the commitment of reading the six books in The Mortal Instruments series, but I’ve really been enjoying this one! I would definitely recommend picking them up if you’re hoping to get in to Cassandra Clare’s works.

I certainly agree with you! This book is better than the first. It actually took me a long time too to pick up Clockwork Prince but when I finally did, it took me just overnight to finish. Hope you’ll like Clockwork Princess! 🙂

You made the right decision on waiting to see how you felt about Will! The last book kind of wraps up a lot of unanswered questions that you might have after the first two. I agree that I think Clare should have more foreshadowing….but you won’t be disappointed when you read the last one! It’s so good! (Some tears might be shed…it gets sad)
I saw that you said you hadn’t read the six books in her other series….seriously do. You will not be disappointed. It’s actually better if you’ve read this series before her Mortal Instrument series! Answers a lot of questions.
I really liked your review, even though this book is a favorite of mine I can totally see where you’re coming from.